Endless Road
by AnathemicZero
Summary: AU. Peace between the Elemental Nations is held together by a thin line of deceit, betrayal, and politics. When fate tips the balance, will Konoha survive the storm? Or will they fade into obscurity? History, after all, is written by the victors.


How curious.

Hidaka observed, with no concealed disgust, as the sickly _chuunin _convulsed and had an arm explode in front of his face. Normally, this wouldn't be happening; chakra coil expansion was standard procedure in _Kirigakure_; it was all but mandatory to have it if you were a _chuunin_ for more than five years; that is, with no potential whatsoever. A simple procedure for a pathetic excuse of a ninja.

Chakra coil expansion was a double-edged sword at best; through creating an artificial opening of sorts into the base of the cardiac _tenketsu_, chakra would be pumped in increasing intervals to improve the '_flexibility' _of the _tenketsu_ by forcing them open wider and wider all throughout the body. This resulted in quicker chakra access , and an 'expanded' chakra coil system so that the body could store a larger net-amount of chakra; all the result of softening the chakra coils by a ridiculous margin by applying larger than average, but not lethal, pressure on the inside walls of the chakra coils system, and by increasing the width of the average _tenketsu_ by 49 percent.

Theoretically, this would increase the destructive potential in a common _chuunin _grunt by allowing the grunt to learn far more potent techniques, and outlast _chuunin_ of greater ability, thus taking out a more competent member of the enemy force.

However, by unnaturally expanding the chakra coils though methods that did not exhaust and replenish chakra normally; like tree walking for instance. The result ended up to be far less appealing; decreased life span, reduced chakra control, poor long-term health, and of course, the phenomenon that was occurring right before Hidaka's eyes.

Chakra implosion. The phenomenon that showed how softening the chakra coils significantly was truly a double-edged sword. Prolonged strain of the now softened walls ensured that eventually the _nin_ would just burst his cardiac _tenketsu_ on the training ground, or in combat.

Though, once he thought about it, chakra implosion was only supposed to occur in the latter half of Stage 4 chakra exhaustion...which was nowhere close to the Stage 1 symptoms his patient should have been experiencing...

Oh well. Doubtless, the _Mizukage_ had approved such a procedure because of importance of destructive potential vs life span. Not that the _Mizukage _was wrong; no doubt, the average life span of a _kiri chuunin_ wasn't very high in the first place, and they were the frontline combatants in any prolonged armed conflict between villages and armed groups anyways. Crude but no doubt effective.

At least the explosion of body parts stopped. Blood was annoyingly difficult to get his lab coat... Now that he thought about it, why did they make the coats white anyways? To make the blood harder to wash off? Tailors were almost as bad as those goddamn engineers...

Hidaka shrugged. Oh well, at least now he could have another cadaver to test the effects of the new generation of shark-teeth implants that imbecile engineer Morimoto managed to create...no doubt they would be the latest craze amongst all the new academy students this year; Hidaka never really did see the usefulness of shark teeth implants anyways; what was he supposed to do? Bite his enemy? He'd probably end up with an infection inside of his mouth as a result, and be stuck with liquids throughout the rest of his career, like that tailor's moron _genin _son that shredded his mouth a year ago.

Hidaka scoffed. Kids these days...

Hidaka was interrupted from is musings by a sharp knock on the laboratory doors.

Strange...he certainly wasn't expecting someone; the procedure wasn't supposed to end for 2 more hours...perhaps one of the interns forgot where a vein was?

Hidaka opened the door to come face-to-face with a tall masked figure in dark fluorescent armor, with an obsidian _zanbatou_ strapped across his back. Certainly from the raw professionalism and killing intent that was slowly leaking into the room, he was most certainly a _jounin._

Not just any run-of-the-mill _jounin_ either_. _A _shi-nin_, one of the _Mizukage's_ personal guard. How refreshing, perhaps the great leader himself had another menial task for him to do...or it was something important. Not that it matter anyways; doesn't matter what the task is, refusal is definitely the key to a fall from grace in the _kiri _hierarchy.

" Hidaka-dono, _Mizukage-sama_ has personally requested your presence immediately" barked the _shi-nin_

Hidaka raised his eyebrows. Sending a _shi-nin_ to merely retrieve him? Certainly a menial task given to the _Mizukage's_ elite black-ops team. "Did _Mizukage-sama_ mention exactly why I have been requested?"

"Yes Hidaka-dono" said the _shi-nin_ with a hint of hesitation and a slight pause.

"Orochimaru-dono has arrived".

BREAK

"Nice train they got there" smirked Toyotomi Sogo, simultaneously lighting a cigarette and observing through his binoculars a train arrive]ing to Bunker 252, one of many of the "research centers" of the great _mizukage's_ most 'glorious' regime.

Sogo scoffed as he took a drag of his cigarette. Research center sure is a nice phrase for all the disgusting projects they got going on there...genetic purity his ass; after killing most he bloodline clans in that bloody campaign based on the premise of genetic purity, they sure had the nerve experimenting on people to create the same effect, but much more unnaturally.

Sogo narrowed his eyes. He would avenge them, if it was the last thing he ever did.

Sogo was broken from his contemplation by a swift whack to the head. The cigarette dropped from his mouth onto the damp grass.

Sogo's eyes narrowed as he turned to his partner.

"What the hell do you think you're doing asshole?" Sogo snarled, fingering the hilt of his _wakizashi_.

" You do realize that you were smoking a cigarette while observing an event that we surely aren't supposed to see, right?" drawled Ryotaro, while absentmindedly twirling his long, black braided hair that ran down as far as the small of his back. " You're just giving away our position". Fucking dainty asshole.

Sogo knew not to underestimate his partner for this mission. Ryotaro may be a narcissitic asshole, but he was a 'resocialized' _shi-nin_, _kirigakure's_ single most dangerous force. Often used for black-ops missions, they also doubled as the _Mizukage's_ personal guard.

Ryotaro was one of _kiri's_ foremost silent-killing specialists. No one knew of him, bar the upper echelons of the _Mizukage's _regime. A reputation that any assassin would brag about. Or otherwise.

And he was kind of curious how Ryotaro managed to keep his braid so shiny and well-kept in a marshland environment...he had it hard enough trying to keep his bangs out of his eyes these days...

Maybe he should just ask him...

Sogo slapped himself. No, bad thoughts! He most certainly isn't like that dainty asshole, and he most certainly isn't jealous!

All the women always looked at _Ryo-chan..._fucking dainty asshole...

Ryotaro blinked a few times at his partner.

"Awed by my beauty, eh, _Sogo-chan_" said Ryotaro, while shifting his eyebrows up and down suggestively,

"Shut the fuck up pretty boy" Sogo snarled.

"Why yes, yes I am" chirped Ryotaro, winking suggestively while shooting a lady-killer smile.

Sogo sighed. " The mark is leaving the bunker...and he has company" muttered Sogo, while maintaining a visual on his opponents. The situation had just gotten far worse.

" That's a full complement of _Jounin_ they got there...and he's got _shi-nin _escort too...this certainly does not bode well, Commander assured us this would be a standard assassination assignment..." wandered off the unusually reserved Ryotaro. This was definitely not a favourable situation.

Nursing a steadily worsening mood, Sogo muttered " You'd know, Mr. _Kiri-no-Shikei"_

And just as the last word left Sogo's mouth, he felt one of his bangs slide down his sweating brow. He had nearly forgotten how quick of a temper the dainty asshole had. Pestering a master of _iaijitsu _was never the smartest thing to do.

" Watch what you say Sogo, or next time your snarky little head will be sliding off too" sneered Ryotaro

Sweat started building up near Sogo's brow subconsciously. He knew he was out of line. Best apologize and forget about it. Yup, but he wasn't giving up or nothin'.

Sogo shifted his gaze away from Ryotaro. "Sorry about that Ryo-san, I was out of line" Sogo muttered.

"Just make sure it doesn't happen again" chirped Ryotaro happily, who finally turned his gaze back to the bunker. How did he change his moods so fast? Must be a dainty asshole type of thing.

Sogo snorted quietly, and turned his gaze back to the bunker as well.

" This complicates things for sure. We were supposed to liquidate that bastard Hidaka, but it seems the _Mizukage_ has decided to act before us" continued Sogo. "That asshole can't be aware of our plans, can he?"

Ryotaro scoffed. " Of course not, the _Mizukage _no doubt would have killed us all by now if he was privy to such information".

Ryotaro paused. "However..."

"We can't continue this assassination mission; while I'm sure that with both our skills, Hidaka and his armed guard could be neutralize. Unfortunately, it would be obvious to the _Mizukage _that the revolutionary elements are planning something. " said Ryotaro gravely. No doubt he was just as disturbed by the change of situation as he himself was.

" We can't let that monster get away though..." snarled Sogo. The task might be far more difficult, but Hidaka had taken away far too much to be let off with absolutely no punishment. His penance would be payed with his very own, precious blood.

"We won't" calmly replied Ryotaro. " I'm sure that the higher echelons would be far more receptive if we managed to gather information on the latest movements of Hidaka and his master".

He paused, then continued " We should follow the train once they board, and conduct a surveillance operation; no doubt your skill set isn't very suited to this task, but this is far too beneficial an opportunity to pass up"

Sogo knew that he was right. Hidaka was just small fry in the greater scheme of things, a pawn.

Just like he himself was.

However, following this lead; this new movement of the _Mizukage's_ government was far more beneficial to the resistance than the death of one researcher. The tide of the revolution could quickly be turned to their side with the great bounty that they could retrieve.

That sure as hell didn't mean he had to like it though.

" I don't like it either, Sogo" said Ryotaro soothingly. He continued, " But you and I both know this might be the chance we have all been waiting for; We will follow the train, and we will gather information to free our people from the oppressive weight on their shoulders. " said Ryotaro

Sogo was impressed. "That was pretty inspirational there, Ryo"

Ryotaro smiled. "Yes I know. Be awed by my prowess!"

Sogo twitched. And there he ruined it. Prick.

But he had a point. The world would remember their names, whether it wanted to or not.

"The train is departing Sogo"

Sogo steeled his expression, and calmed his nerves.

" We will proceed the mission then, Comrade."

BREAK

Konoha was in dire straits. There was just no other way of saying it.

The _Sandaime_ sighed as he took a puff of his tobacco. The situation was becoming far more tense then he would have liked.

And now this. An ultimatum of all things.

Hiruzen knew he couldn't continue this war. With the Kyuubi's rampage on their once powerful village three years ago, their battle capacity had been reduced greatly. It was only due to the hesitance of the _Daimyo _of lightning country to support the _Kumo_ forces that had forced a ceasefire.

A stroke of luck as it were.

It was quite..convenient that _Kumogakure_ declared war a mere year after the Kyuubi incident. Luckily, even with their strength destabilized, strategic victories were achieved against overwhelming force. Mutual fear in both sides was created. Peace was achieved.

Temporarily at least.

The _kumogakure_ nin were fanatical. There was no other way of saying it. It was only by the grace of god, and sheer luck that they were able to broker peace with them, thanks to the insistence of the daimyo of lightning country, and to the subsequent _seppeku_ the emperor had commited.

The emperor, even in the shame of his death, had supporters; loyalists that supported him and him only. The Raikage's brother and a small cadre of Kumo _jounin_ had attempted a kidnapping of the Hyuuga heir, Hyuuga Hinata. Luckily, Hiashi had easily stopped the kidnapping attempt, simultaneously killing the Raikage's brother.

The Raikage renounced the action, while simultaneously demanding that Hyuuga Hiashi be sent to _kumogakure_ for interrogation and subsequent execution.

Normally, he wouldn't even have considered the _Raikage's_ demands to have Hyuuga Hiashi sent to _Kumo_, no doubt to be tortured, extracted of vital village secrets, and then promptly executed. But he had no choice; A prolonged war with Kumo might lead to a final victory, but it would be a pyrrhic victory at best. And the great tree of Konoha would be doomed to become prey to the other hidden village, together with the remains of _Kumogakure._

The Daimyo had refused to accept even the possibility of a continuation of the conflict based on the economic and political ramifications of it.

As much as he hated to admit it, he agreed. Peace was far more profitable than war in this case.

He still had a dilemma to solve, despite his clear orders.

Hyuuga Hizashi, Hiashi's twin brother, had proposed a very cunning gambit. Instead of sending the clan head, Hiashi, to the _Raikage_, they could replace him with Hizashi. The Caged Bird seal would keep the secrets of the _Byakugan_ from being revealed, and Hiashi, the clan head of arguably the most powerful clan in Konoha, would be kept alive.

The _Raikage_ would be unable to do anything due to political pressure on his side.

Hiruzen sighed. The burdens of leadership were just sometimes too much.

He was getting far too old for this.

The Caged Bird seal was one of Konoha's eternal shames; a necessity, but at a very high cost. By doing this, he knew that the _Hyuuga_ branch would be devastated without their charismatic leader, and that he would be orphaning Neji, young Hizashi's calm mannered son. A travesty.

Kumo would have to pay for this transgression. He would make sure of it himself. Hiruzen thought himself a calm man, but he wouldn't stand to have this slight of _Kumogakure's_ to go unchecked. No doubt Danzo already had a few operations planned to spark a secret war between the two villages. And, as per usual, he would condemn the attack publicly, and quietly support it in private.

That, or do nothing, and be considered by the rest of the hidden villages as an easy target. Danzo understood it well, and so did he.

Hiruzen shifted his gaze to the official contract that demanded the handing over of "Hyuuga Hiashi" to _Kumogakure_ for execution due to ceasefire hostilities.

His eyes scanned the contract again. Lifting his hand, Hiruzen signed it, taking another deep puff of his pipe.

Hiruzen turned his gaze to his window. Today was raining; the calm drizzle of the waters of life rejuvenating the great tree, and yet singing a requiem for the great loss the village would face in the coming months.

He could only hope that he wouldn't have to make such decisions in the near future. Somehow, he knew he was very, very wrong.

BREAK

Hizashi was quietly sitting in the waiting room, dressed in a pure white robe, trying to keep nothing but his fated _giri_ in mind.

But he could not.

The Hyuuga clan and their sworn enemies, the 'fanatics' of _kumogakure_ were not so different at all. They both based their ruling class upon birth, they were both bound by their restricting _giri_ to their respective factions, and they both served their rulers to the death. Or worse.

And both were completely and utterly despicable in the very same way.

Not so different at all.

And yet, fate had decreed that they become eternal enemies.

Hizashi boiled with anger.

He couldn't help but hate them both, with the _very core of his being._

Half way through the war, Konoha was finally turning the tide on the fanatical _kumo_ ninja. This was primarily due to a shift in front-line combatants; until that point, the Uchiha clan had been was kept to reconnaissance missions.

However, seeing the tide turning, one of the _kumogakure_ strategists, a _jounin _strategist Oishi, had instituted a new policy. The policy of creating a _tokkotai_, built up of failed academy students, that were to serve a suicide unit; the emperor's _kamikaze _force.

They were trained rigorously in solely speed and chakra capacity methods that built up these attributes in the shortest time possible. _Kumogakure's Tokkotai._

Then they were sent out to learn one _jutsu_ and one _jutsu _only. _Raiton: Ketushiyousen Hirameki._

In reality, it wasn't so much a lightning technique as a much as a _kinjutsu._ A technique that forced chakra overload at an extreme rate, resulting in the body's bioelectrical signals meshing with all the chakra in the body.

The result? The bioelectricity acted as ignition for the chakra, resulting in a _katon_ technique. The result is a human bomb, with the effectiveness of around 10 explosive notes. Able to completely decimate a 5 by 5 meter piece of land.

No skill, no grace, and absolutely no talent. But they served their purpose well.

This completely devastated the Uchiha forces; they could see the enemies heading towards them, but could do nothing to react. If they dodged one, another quickly took their place. The fact that Uchiha-only squads, the sheer arrogance, worked in squads of 5 further increased the casualty count.

_Raiton: Ketushiyousen Hirameki_ thrived against ninjas that were fool enough to stay in tight squadrons.

Although _tokkotai _were finite, the losses the Uchiha suffered were far more grave than the losses _kumo_ had to burden.

Arguably, the turning point of that phase of the war had been the result of Nara Shikaku suggesting the Hyuuga take the front-line position from the devastated Uchiha squadrons.

With the _Byakugan_, Hyuuga were able to pinpoint the exact location of any _kamikaze_ squadrons. If the Hyuuga was quick enough, and of the main branch, a _kaiten _could help shield the team. A new combination was created; A Hyuuga to act as a spotter, a weapon's specialist to act as a sniper, and a _ninjutsu_ specialist to help shield the team with elemental ninjitsu in case the sniper failed.

The result was the nullification of the _kamikaze_ assault, and once again, the main force was free to wreck havoc upon the impudent fanatics of _kumogakure. _Naturally, _kumo_ hated the ones they saw as the wall between the destruction of the barbarians, and the most holy forces of _kumogakure._

_Tokkotai_ were, in the end, just another resource that could be extinguished quick with the right strategy. A desperation tactic, now _Kumo_ would struggle with finding new chakra users for their depleted ninja force.

_Naturally_, a ceasefire was finally reached once the _kumo_ forces were expelled from fire country borders. Everyone could see both sides had nothing to gain from the war, and with the death of the emperor, they no longer had the will either.

And now this.

It was his suggestion. But it as well was his _divine responsibility_, and if he did not suggest it, _seppeku_ was not far behind. He would not leave his son with the memory of a shameful father that had idly sat while their clan head had died.

He hated his brother, and envied him at the same time. By being born a second later, his fate was forever sealed.

And no one can escape fate.

So now here he was, bound by his _giri_ and the fate that _kami_ had bestowed upon him, and his beloved son, Neji. Now he was going to leave him fatherless, and stuck to burden the fate of the Hyuuga branch all by himself.

His insides boiled. He really hated his brother, and those _kumo_ bastards.

Fate may not be on his side, but his son, Neji, was blessed with great prodigal ability. His fate was not yet evident. Blessed and cursed, his fate was his to choose.

He would deliver divine punishment upon those impudent _kumo _imperialists, and to the main branch. He would burden his fate, and turn his fear finally into hatred,.

Just as he had.

Hizashi opened his eyes. It was time.

Finding his _giri_ once more, he steeled himself for the coming moments before he was sent to his death. His _giri_ fulfilled, he only had one regret.

"I'm sorry Neji" whispered Hizashi, one tear silently falling down his pale cheek.

Hizashi wiped it carefully, and schooled a stoic expression.

" It is now your turn."

Hizashi opened the door, and exited into the blinding light, knowing he would never return.

AN:

Hey guys,

This my new attempt at fanfiction, _Endless Road._

It will feature AU and OOC element, and will have a lot of OCs as well. It will also ignore anything Shipuuden, as I want to play around with the lore of the story.

I plan to update weekly and biweekly, each chapter being around 3000-4000 words

Please Review!

-Zero

Translations:

_Wakizashi:_ Short traditional Japanese sword, shoto blade 30-60 centimeters

_Zanbatou:_ horse-slaying sword. Like Zabuza's.

_Raiton: Ketushiyosen Hirameki: _Lightning Element: Final flash


End file.
